Globalization of Agriculture: Effects on Globalization of Agriculture: Effects on Social and Natural Systems in Rural Social and Natural Systems in Rural Communities in Jamaica Communities in Jamaica Paulette Meikle- - Paulette Meikle Yaw Yaw Department of Department of Sociology, Sociology, Anthropology, Anthropology, DELTA IN GLOBAL CONTEXT DELTA IN GLOBAL CONTEXT and Social Work and Social Work A Workshop on Community- A Workshop on Community -Based Based Research, Practice and Development Research, Practice and Development May 27- -28, 2005, Delta State University 28, 2005, Delta State University May 27 Mississippi State Mississippi State in Cleveland, MS in Cleveland, MS University University
Purpose of this Presentation Purpose of this Presentation The purpose of this presentation is to produce a qualitative � analysis of: � the socio-economic � socio-cultural and � environmental impacts of the production and export of primary agricultural products from local communities in Jamaica, and global policies and institutions that are formulated to maintain the system. The focus is mainly on the external forces that have persistently � influenced the use of natural resources and re-structure the socio- economic systems of vulnerable small rural communities Delta in Global Context 2 Workshop, May 27-28, 2005
BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM � In order to participate in the global economy, Jamaican small farmers are increasingly cultivating export crops on hilly terrain. As a parallel, the small farming economy is being � negatively affected by the importation of certain crops under trade liberalization � This has led to the mounting disruption of the natural ecosystems and socio-economic settings. � As a parallel, local communities’ right to endogenous economic development is subdued by the policies of global economic and trade institutions. Delta in Global Context Workshop 3
Jamaica: Jamaica: Location Location relative to the relative to the USA USA 4
Significance Significance I will examine the changing structure of rural economies, and how they contribute to environmental problems and how they might be reformed. This type of analysis is important because: Globalization radically transforms already vulnerable sub-global spaces � such as small remote rural communities It is important to assess the effects of the globalization of agriculture and � trade liberalization on poor small farming communities because they are often overlooked entities in the homogenization and “one size fits all” policies of international economic institutions Also, it is important to study these poor small rural communities as they � often bear the brunt of the inequality generated through globalization The incidence of poverty has always been highest in rural Jamaica � (24.1%), while for the Kingston Metropolitan Area it is 7.6% and other towns 13.3 percent (Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions, 2001) [A family of five is said to be living in poverty if its total annual 5 consumption is less than J$178,906 (US$ 3889 - 2002) ]
Research Questions Research Questions � What is the origin of economic dependency, and the associated land degradation in Jamaica? � Does the overseas retail price reflect the real costs of the fruit? � Who should absorb externalities in the global market place? � What are the local socio-economic, socio-cultural and ecological consequences at the community level of Jamaica exporting the fruit of the land? � What are the changing spatial and temporal contours of livelihood activities and quality of life in small rural communities that result from the exportation of the fruit 6 of the land, and trade liberalization?
Theoretical Framework Theoretical Framework and Method and Method Wallerstein’s World World- -Systems Theory Systems Theory Wallerstein’s � � Globalization of Agriculture Globalization of Agriculture � � To address the above questions I draw on information � obtained from several participatory field studies that I executed in over 21 rural farming communities in Jamaica between 1990 and 2000. This includes a 8-month long participatory observation � among small hillside farmers which allowed inductive and descriptive analysis of small farm families, and their relationship with the environment and their communities and their economic strategies. Delta in Global Context 7 Workshop, May 27-28, 2005
WALLERSTEIN’S WORLD SYSTEMS THEORY: WALLERSTEIN’S WORLD SYSTEMS THEORY: Global Inequality in Resources and Power - - Three Three- -tier tier Global Inequality in Resources and Power structure of the world- -system of capitalism system of capitalism structure of the world 1. Core Core - - The most developed, powerful and Periphery affluent nations Semi-periphery periphery - emi- -periphery S emi 2. . S intermediate in terms of their wealth, political autonomy and core degree of economic diversification 3. Periphery Periphery - the most powerless, with a narrow economic base of agricultural products or minerals, often providing cheap labor for Delta in Global Context 8 MNCs. Workshop, May 27-28, 2005
WORLD SYSTEMS THEORY: Core/Periphery Relations Powerful wealthy core dominates and exploit the Core Dominant weak and poor peripheral countries Capitalist Centers Primary Goods Manufactured Goods Core Semi-periphery Periphery Periphery Dependence on core nations for Trade Between capital Societies Delta in Global Context 9 Workshop, May 27-28, 2005
WALLERSTEIN'S WORLD SYSTEMS THEORY (cont’d) Core High Semi- Periphery POLITICAL STABILITY/POWER • USA $37,800 • Germany • Japan • S.Korea Periphery • Venezuela • Mexico Low • Jamaica • Rwanda • Haiti $4,100 Low High ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Economic Development :a rise in the average standard of living associated with economic growth; a rise in 10 per capita income.
Theory of Globalization � Increasingly, contemporary social theorists are endorsing the view that globalization encompasses changes in the spatial and temporal contours of social existence. Delta in Global Context 11 Workshop, May 27-28, 2005
Globalization a process of: The world being integrated (e.g. economic integration, the growth of MNCs and � global financial markets) A worldwide diffusion of practices � The expansion and intensification of relations across continents � The idea of organization of social life on a global scale –an increase in the � geographic range of locally consequential interactions (especially across international and intercontinental limits) The spread of shared consciousness � Deterritorialization, which manifests itself in many social spheres � Internationalized capital flows � Integration of national societies into a global network of trade, and the new � international division of labor 12
Globalization of Agriculture � The central elements behind trade liberalization and the globalization of agriculture include the idea that liberal capitalist economies and free trade will increase food production and multiply prosperity for farmers across the world and alleviate poverty and hunger Delta in Global Context 13 Workshop, May 27-28, 2005
Rural Social Space: Produced, Shaped Rural Social Space: Produced, Shaped and Transformed by Capitalism and Transformed by Capitalism The trajectory of agricultural production and marketing in Jamaica � has been largely shaped by external forces, rather than the local consumption and development decisions within local communities Much of the current economic dependency and land degradation � problems linked to the agricultural sector of Jamaica have their roots in the European political-economic system and neo- European capitalist systems like the United States Colonial rule initiated the integration of Jamaica into the global � economy and the capitalist world system and launched her on a course of dependency on the economies of the developed world From the beginning Britain did not promote broad-based industrial � production infrastructure in Jamaica, which positioned the country in a economic disadvantage state Delta in Global Context 14 Workshop, May 27-28, 2005
History and Dependency History and Dependency � This kept the largely agrarian economy dependent on the industrialized world for the consumption of the island's primary products. � Independent Jamaica continued the colonial model of development. � Rural agricultural communities face difficulty in achieving consistent economic growth. Delta in Global Context 15 Workshop, May 27-28, 2005
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